


How It All Started

by Maybelifeistooshort



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Max has more than one chapter, definitely in Max's chapter, some - Freeform, some in Nikki's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23374345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybelifeistooshort/pseuds/Maybelifeistooshort
Summary: Short semi-connected oneshots about the lives of the characters of the show.
Relationships: ALL PLATONIC, David & Max (Camp Camp), David and Gwen will be romantic, David/Gwen (Camp Camp), Max & Neil (Camp Camp), Max & Nikki (Camp Camp), Nikki & Candy (Camp Camp), Nikki & Neil (Camp Camp), but they are the only ones
Comments: 25
Kudos: 88





	1. Nikki's Seventh Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite. I reread the older version and I want to make it better, so here you go.

Nikki woke up to the sun shining through the window in her room. While her light was off, the room was still illuminated by sunlight in every corner. She rubbed her eyes and stood up on her bed, the mattress dipping where she stood, and looked outside. The glass was slightly iced over from the snowstorm that had hit the night before. 

As she looked outside, through the glass she could see her mom climbing into a car Nikki didn’t recognize. She felt her eyebrows furrow and her tongue stuck out slightly. She remembered her mom promising that she would be home for Nikki’s seventh birthday. She deflated slightly when she saw the car door close. 

She saw the car drive off and then she backed away, still standing on her bed. She jumped as high as she could, and when she looked up she was sure that she could touch the ceiling. That’s when she jumped off of the bed. 

There was a loud ‘thump’ when she landed, but she was able to jump back up with only a bruise forming on her knee from how she landed. She dusted her disgusting pink pajamas off when she stood, then hurriedly changed. 

She pulled on her green long sleeved shirt and overalls. Her dad had promised to take her on a hike for her birthday, and Nikki couldn’t be more excited. Even though she wouldn’t be able to jump and play in the mud, it was snowing! And Nikki had a million ideas of what she would do while playing outside. Maybe her mom would even get home in time to play with her. 

Nikki knew her parents didn’t love each other, at least not like her friends’ parents. Her mom kissed other men, sometimes even wrestling with them for money. She smoked a lot and told Nikki to go and ‘play dress up or something’ when she asked about them. She only kissed Nikki’s dad when he bought her something. Otherwise her dad would be in a different room, usually drinking weird and gross soda out of a can or bottle. 

She still loved them though. They tried, and that was all that she needed. Her teachers even told her, “As long as you try your best, it’s enough,” and they were. 

Her mom took her to the mall with her, signed her up for things she thought she would like, and usually came home in time to say goodnight. Even on the nights she didn’t, she apologized if Nikki brought it up. 

Her dad tried too. While sometimes his friends were a little too loud, he still made sure that she had something to do when they were over. He made sure that she was able to go outside when she needed to. And when she asked, he almost always made it a point to play with her outside. 

Nikki knew her parents loved her, and that was all that mattered. 

Her dad, Martin, was making waffles when she walked downstairs. He had watched Candy leave and did nothing to stop her when she walked out. They had fought in the past about it, and they would fight again, but not today. It was Nikki’s birthday and she deserved better than waking up to a screaming match between her parents. 

Martin remembered finding out about her. He had gone on a few dates with Candy, and when it came down to it, he paid no mind to her profession. That wasn’t what bugged him. What bugged him were the bills and jewelry that went missing after dates. He was planning on breaking it off when she told him she was pregnant. 

They had come to an...agreement of sorts. Candy could date, but Nikki couldn’t meet any of the men. If Nikki was going to be staying with Martin, then he would have to be generous with both of them. It was tense, but it worked. 

When Nicholette was born, no one could reason why the baby was so happy, not even her parents. As soon as she was able to, she was always smiling. When she could crawl, she never stopped moving again. She was able to climb to unimaginable places and jump down without getting scratched. It was almost supernatural. 

Nikki sat down at the table just as her dad sat her plate down. On top were all of her favorites, from whipped cream to gummy worms and skittles. She became starry eyed as she looked at them, quickly giving her dad a bear hug. 

Nikki ate her breakfast in record time, cleaning her plate. Her dad smiled, taking her plate to place it in the sink until he would have time to clean it. When Nikki asked about the hike, her dat tilted his head and asked what she was talking about. She shrugged it off and decided to play outside. 

She pulled on her favorite jacket. It was poofy and full of bright colors. Her mom had said that it was ugly, but after ten minutes of dedicated begging, she had given in. Nikki wore it every day. She ran outside and felt refreshed with the frosty wind blowing on her face. 

She was pulled from her thoughts when a snowball hit her face with a soft ‘puff’. She looked up to see her friends from the neighborhood. She grinned and ran off to play with the boys, as they never seemed to make fun of her like the girls of the block did. 

They played for hours. They built snow forts to give cover from the snowball battles they had, and Nikki even hit a teenager that was playing with them because of her amazing aim. They only stopped when it started to get dark. 

Nikki’s nose was red and runny when she got back. Her dad smiled at her when she put her jacket away. When she got to the table, her dad put a hot cocoa in front of her. She drank all of it, because he had made it just the way she liked it. Sixty percent whipped cream and chocolate syrup and forty percent of the actual drink. 

When she finished, she felt her eyes getting droopy and she yawned. Her dad carried her up to her room and tucked her in. He even opened the window a bit so she wouldn’t get sick and cough up blood if she was inside for too long, again. 

Nikki woke up to loud groaning coming from downstairs. She snuck out of her room and noticed her mom nakedly wrestling with a man she didn’t recognise. She walked to the kitchen without giving them another thought and went outside. 

She didn’t stay out for long, as Candy came out with a cigarette a few minutes later. Her eyes widened when she saw Nikki making a snowman, and her cheeks reddened when she thought about her daughter hearing, or god forbid seeing, her with a client. 

"Nikolet? What're you doin' up, it's almost mornin'!" her mom looked at her. She had her hand on her hip and she still had yet to light her cigarette. 

Nikki shrugged, "I wanted to play outside" she reasoned. When her mom pointed for her to go inside, she didn’t fight it. 

She didn’t miss the mumbled “Happy birthday” as she walked inside. She couldn’t stop smiling as she walked back to her room. She climbed into bed, thinking about just how amazing her life was. Her mom came home before the week was over, her dad had made her breakfast, her parents hadn’t yelled at each other all day! It was amazing. She could always wait to go hiking until another time. 

She fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	2. Max's Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max finds a cat his first year at camp

It’s not that Max likes the damn thing. He was just in the woods looking for Nerris’s stupid keychain that she wouldn’t stop bitching about losing when he heard a sound. He didn’t know what it was, so he walked over to where the noise was coming from. 

He did not expect to see a cat. It was a pretty thing too, not covered in dirt or anything. Because Max wasn’t an idiot, he put together that the thing most likely had an owner… but there was nothing that said he couldn’t pet it. 

It started purring loudly as soon as he touched it’s head. He let himself smile at the moment and scratched behind its black ears. They stayed there for a few minutes before he noticed the charm a few feet away. Max stood up and grabbed it. 

He looked as the sun started to set, and started his journey back, expecting to leave the cat behind forever. What he did not expect was for the cat to walk alongside him. It meowed occasionally, but otherwise stayed quiet on their walk back. 

When they got back to the camp, most of the campers were eating. Max walked towards the mess hall, but the cat walked the other way and out of his sight. He mentally said goodbye and walked into the mess hall, ignoring the slight disappointment he felt watching the cat go. 

He gave Nerris the charm and she gave him a quick and careful hug before he could escape to his table near the back. Max just awkwardly pulled away without saying anything. 

He picked at the shitty mashed potatoes that he was given and sighed. So far, Camp Campbell was shit. It was only his first week and he was already bored with all of the campers that were there. The only bearable camper was Chuckie.

When everyone had finished, they were told to head to bed. Max glared at the councilor. He was fucking annoying. His voice was too high pitched and he couldn’t stop with the creepy ass smile that he always had on. 

Max walked by him, making sure to avoid eye contact with the man. He had seen the ginger talk for fucking hours about the tinest thing, who knew what could set him off. Max sure as hell didn’t plan to learn anytime soon. 

He quickly brushed his teeth and walked back to his tent. He was the lucky camper who had a tent all to himself. He didn’t bring much with him to the camp, having expected to be sent home within the first few days. So far, that hadn’t happened. 

He looked around nervously, and when he was sure that he was alone, he pulled out his teddy bear. His grandma had given it to him a year ago before she had died, and he had held onto it since. He held it close as he laid back on the uncomfortable cot and closed his eyes. 

That night he got lucky and didn’t have any nightmares. He actually dreamt of the cat he had found, and what life at home would be like with it. Maybe when his parents were gone, he would have something to talk to. It was really nice. 

He woke up to a nicer sound than his alarm clock and something warm laying on his chest. He opened his eyes to see the cat from the day before sleeping on his chest and purring loudly. The eight year old slowly and carefully pet the soft animal. 

When it didn’t seem to object to the petting, Max scratched behind its ears. He smiled to himself when the purring just got louder. It was the nicest experience he had been given since coming to Camp Campbell. 

After several minutes, he carefully moved the cat off of him. It gave him a grumpy look in response, but otherwise it gave no protest to being moved. Max counted that as a win. 

He changed into another oversized Camp Campbell shirt and jeans before he went outside. The cat walked by him and off to do something Max didn’t know or care about. 

The day went by slowly. It was a million degrees and David had thought that ‘Pirate Camp’ needed to turn into ‘Seven Kids Have a Heat Stroke Camp’. When Nerris was the first one to fall, they were all told to get some water and take the rest of the day off. 

Max walked back to his tent to see the cat on his cot purring. He smiled as he walked over and sat next to it. It crawled into his lap and looked up at him with big orange eyes and Max let himself relax.

Things went really well for the first couple of weeks. Max and the cat would do whatever the fuck they wanted, and at the end of the day the cat would be waiting inside of his tent waiting to go to sleep. He even named the thing. ‘Cat’. It seemed to like it. 

Then David had to fucking ruin it. Max was sleeping with Cat curled up next to him when David opened the flap to his tent. He tried to carefully wake Max up, and failed. He asked about the animal, and Max had eventually told him how he had found it. 

Max did give credit that David looked guilty as he pulled up a ‘missing cat’ post on his phone. Apparently this family’s cat Delilah, who looked awfully similar to Cat, had run away a few days before Max had found it. 

He let David take Cat. He refused to cry in front of David or the other campers as they drove away. He just shrugged it off and went through the rest of the day like normal. He tried not to care. 

When David got back, he told Max how thankful the family was that he had found the cat. Apparently they had even told David to tell him thank you for taking care of her. Max didn’t give a shit. 

It was harder not to care when he had a nightmare. He woke up crying, and when Cat wasn’t there, it just made him feel worse. He almost went to David for comfort, but decided against it. He was the one who took his comfort in the first place. 

Ten years later, Max got himself another cat. A fat, cross eyed, three legged, orange tabby named Oscar. He had been volunteering at the shitty animal shelter near his even shittier apartment when he came. 

The thing was ugly as hell. His tongue was permanently sticking out of his mouth and it’s eyes were looking in two directions. He wasn’t even that old, just hideous. Everyone was sure that in two weeks the thing would be put out of its misery. So Max adopted him. 

David helped him buy everything that he needed to take care of the monstrosity. When they got back to Max’s apartment, David had smiled and told him how proud he was that Max was still so loving when it came to animals. Max rolled his eyes, but didn’t deny it. 

He and Oscar got along well. When Oscar wanted something, he would pace around Max and scream until Max found out what it was. In return, when Max was upset or lonely, Oscar would stay firmly in Max’s lap and purr louder than any engine. 

It was nice to not be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to end it with Max being salty about the cat being sent back home, but I also wanted a happy ending. So far, I don't think this is up to my usual writing potential, but I'm having fun with it.


	3. David is Fucking Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David loves the camp. More than anything. But it's a lot of work.

It wasn’t easy, working for Cameron Campbell. While David swore to god that the man was the best thing that had ever happened to him, the camp was somehow worse than when he had attended almost fifteen years ago. 

When Mr. Campbell had reached out about reopening Camp Campbell, David thought that just maybe the man had wanted him to run the camp because he trusted him. That he saw something inside of David that none of the other adults in his life had seen. And then he saw the camp. 

It was in a beautiful spot in the forest. David had always loved being in the middle of the woods, hours drive from any civilization. The smell of pine wafting through the air, and the ability to go free in the woods. When he had to go back to civilization and be stuck in a building all day, it was suffocating. 

The location of the camp was the only thing David truly appreciated. 

The cabins were on the verge of falling apart, the Mess hall was more or less a death trap, and the tents for the campers were pretty much just trash bags poorly held up by metal poles. David took a minute when he arrived to find all of the issues, at least the ones he could fix. 

The first thing he fixed were the tents. He already owned more than any human ever should, and otherwise he knew how to make a pretty good tent with some tarp and knowledge. He could thank Jasper for that one. 

He had a week to prepare for the campers and two days for his coworkers. So he got some wood and set to make the cabins less of a hazard to anyone’s safety. It took longer than he wanted it to, since he was only one man, but it was done eventually. The cabins didn’t look good, not by a long shot, but they were safe to live in. That was all David could focus on. He didn’t bat an eye when his new coworker, Gwen, complained about how shitty it looked. 

When he met Gwen, he could tell that Camp Campbell wasn’t her choice of work. She complained constantly, even though the kids hadn’t even arrived yet. He couldn’t fault her very much though, because when he talked to her she seemed to actually listen, even if he talked about something she didn’t really care about. 

When the kids arrived, he had made the camp less of a safety hazard. Boards still fell down sometimes, but it was never too dangerous. The campers themselves were...new to him. 

David had dealt with kids often labeled as ‘difficult’ regularly at home. Teaching middle school was practically begging for it. But the kids coming to the camp were somehow more destructive. 

One kid really stuck out to David though. He was on the shorter side and kept to himself. He had refused to participate in any of the ice-breaker activities that David and Gwen had put together for the camp. 

David learned that the kids name was Max. He was eight years old, which made sense considering the missing front tooth. He wore a semi-permanent frown, always glaring at something. Mostly David. 

It took a week for the first fire to start. Max had somehow gotten his hands on some illegal fireworks, and David had been the one sentenced to taking them away. Max had cursed him out for nearly ten minutes. David didn’t even use some of the words that the kid spouted. 

It only got worse when he had to take the kid’s cat back to its owners. He had looked heartbroken when David had explained, and he was acting worse than usual for two weeks. ‘Fishing Camp’ became ‘CPR Camp’ fairly quickly because of a tipped canoe. 

David did have fun though. He loved working with kids, and it was nice to see some of the campers enjoying themselves. Because of the way the camp was set up, he got to see some kids find new hobbies. 

He and Gwen also bonded fairly quickly. It was kind of a given that they would, being stuck together and having to be roommates for the next three months. It helped that they both liked watching Miles Luna painting videos and were both big insomniacs. 

He loved the days when Gwen or Quartermaster took charge and he got to relax a bit. He would still help if they asked, but he was able to sit back and relax, surrounded by nature. It was lovely. 

When days got harder, David was always able to step up and bring everything back down to the normal amount of Camp Campbell Chaos that they were used to. He was reminded of Lord Of the Flies sometimes, and he was glad that he was able to prevent that from happening. 

He was glad to be working at Camp Campbell. It was the best job in the entire world. It was the only job with this sense of adventure. It was the only job that gave him so much hope for his own secret dream of owning his own camp. It was the only job that could make him this happy. 

But it was hard, and he was tired. He knew that at twenty two, he wasn’t supposed to be as worn down as he was. He wasn’t supposed to be in charge of almost twenty kids every day with little to no help. 

Through it all though, he kept a smile on. He just kept his mind on the positives. He focused on his blossoming friendship with Gwen and how amazing Max was at knitting. He focused on the bright and cheerful colors of the Camp Campbell flag. Because, things were great. 

He kept his mind on how beautiful the woods around him. On how if he just kept trying, everyone would see just how amazing the camp really was. 

Because no matter what, he would keep it together. He was happy to put all of his effort into the camp, because it was worth it. Because things were great. 

They were. 

They really were. 

He just had to keep telling himself that.


	4. Hanging Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen couldn't stand David when she met him. Then, she got to know him.

When Gwen started working at Camp Campbell, she honestly couldn’t stand David. When she walked in, she saw this attractive man with toned arms and bright green eyes- and then he talked to her. His smiles always seemed a little too forced, and his voice never lost that peppiness. Sometimes when she saw his face when the kids were trying to set him on fire, she just wanted to ring his neck. 

He didn’t know how to punish the little bastards. It was always up to Gwen to do so. Maybe the quartermaster could’ve done it, but she didn’t trust him with any of the kids. Even David showed slight discomfort around him, and that was saying something. 

She did have to admit that he put a lot more effort in than he should, given the situation. Hell, everything was practically falling apart in the camp and he still tried to make it seem like nature’s paradise. Gwen could see that he liked being a counselor, and that was more than she could say. 

It took a week for her to see some sort of humanity coming from the man. It was after a particularly hellish day. Three fires had been started, two of which David was able to put out before someone got hurt. And then he was the one who got hurt. 

Gwen was shocked when he just continued on with his day, badly covering most of the burns on him. The campers didn’t seem to notice though. They kept on making trouble. 

One kid tried to set off some illegal fireworks, which she had to confiscate. The kid pouted for the rest of the day. She couldn’t remember his name, just that lately the little shit had been more of a problem than any of the other kids, who he refused to talk to. 

David was swaying as they walked back to their shared cabin at the end of the day. He was still smiling, but it wasn’t as obnoxious about it as he was around the campers. Maybe he was just tired. 

Gwen walked straight into her room, watching from the corner of her eye as David sat down on one of the chairs in front of the shitty tv they were given. She shut her door once she was sure that he wasn’t dead. 

She pulled her hair down and changed into her pajamas. Just an oversized shirt she stole from her ex-boyfriend and running shorts. She grabbed one of her trashy magazines and walked into the living room area. 

When she walked in, it seemed that David hadn’t heard her. For the first time she saw David slightly frowning as he wrapped a burn on his arm. His shoulders were no longer tense to stay upwrite, instead he was slightly slouched. 

She leaned against her door frame and watched him. It was odd, to say the least. She couldn’t see his face well, as she was standing a ways behind him, but she was still close enough to see his reflection on the tv. 

It took her longer than she’d admit to realize that he was humming to himself. She honestly thought it was just the old radio that she’s never turned on. She watched him, half mezmorized. His voice was nice, especially when not belting that god forsaken camp song. Gwen wasn’t sure what he was humming, but she knew she liked it. 

She thought that he was cute like that. Maybe not hot, but attractive nonetheless. Maybe even her type when he wasn’t being fake. The calm look on his face was soothing, and she could understand why he was hired to work with kids. He could calm someone down easily with those green eyes.

She wondered what he did when it wasn’t a million degrees outside. She had heard from one of the campers that he taught at their sister’s middle school. That made sense. He seemed to like working with kids, and he was able to deal with tantrums. 

She got lost in thought as she stared at his reflection, thinking about this person she had never seen before. There was more to him, and her psychology degree was begging her to dig deep beneath the surface. 

It was then that David spoke up, “You know you could actually sit down. You don’t have to stare at me… we could actually talk.” 

Gwen did not jump. She was slightly startled and flinched. And, even if she did jump, David’s fond smile was worth being slightly embarrassed. She felt her cheeks heat up as she walked over, still holding on to ‘Butts Magazine- From Musical Stars to Ryan Gooselings’. 

She sat down on the purple chair next to his green one and watched him. “So, the campers sure did a lot today, am I right?” Gwen asked. She just put her hands into her lap. 

“Yeah, it was a bad day.” He sighed, finishing wrapping his arms. “But, at least tomorrow is knitting camp. And I’ve made sure to dull the knitting needles. No one will be stabbed...even if Max tries it.”

Max was the little shit she was dealing with that day, she remembered. She filed the kids name in her mind, not wanting to forget the name again. “What’s with that kid anyways? He’s always pouting or making trouble.” Gwen asked.

“He’s...I don’t know really.” David answered honestly, shifting to look at Gwen, “Maybe he’s just lonely. Or bored. Maybe once he makes a friend or two he’ll be easier to take care of.” He suggested. 

Gwen nodded. “So, this is the first time we’ve actually talked. Why is that?” She asked, tilting her head slightly. 

“Because you always rush into your room as soon as we get back from the day.” David told her, moving to stand up. “I’m going to make myself some tea, want some?”

“Sure.”

David walked over to a small and cheap little hot plate Gwen hadn’t noticed. He filled a tiny pot up with bottled water and turned the hot plate on.

“So, Gwen, now that we’re talking, what do you like to do for fun?” He asked, turning to look at her.

“I like to read… stories online. I like writing too.” She answered, hoping he didn’t put together that she meant fanfiction. 

“That’s neat. I’ve never been good at writing stories. Just music.” He mused, watching as the water slowly came to a boil. 

“So you like singing? Gee, I’m so surprised.” Gwen said. Her slight smile told David that she was only teasing, at least she hoped it did. 

“Well it’s not only the camp songs. I’m just good at those.” He gave her a similar smile. “But, I like writing all types of music depending on my mood.”

Gwen nodded. She could understand that, especially if he changed music to fanfiction. Some days she wanted to tourture her favorite characters in a world full of angst and terror. On others, when she was in a really good mood, she was able to write pure fluff. 

Most days she just wrote the characters fucking each other raw. 

“Well besides music, what else do you like to do?” Gwen asked as she watched him pour the hot water into two plain mugs. 

“I like camping.” David shrugged. “Do you want chamomile or rose leaf mint?” he asked, pulling two boxes of tea out of nowhere. 

“Once again a shocker.” Gwen smiled. “And surprise me.” She had to admit, it was a little comforting to know that David was pretty much what he seemed. Just a nice guy who was really into camping. 

David walked back over and gave her a mug of hot tea. She relaxed slightly, watching David settle back into his chair. 

“Do you want to watch something?” He asked her. Gwen just shrugged and nodded. 

“I have a few Miles Luna tapes, and The Sound of Music on VHS.” 

“Let’s watch Miles Luna.” She smiled. 

David put the tape in and the man’s calming voice came up along with a painting of a sky. As David walked back, Gwen smiled. This job may not be as shitty if she had a friend to help her through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Gwenvid is endgame. It's one of the few ships in the fandom I don't see as problematic. I know that all of this is pretty cheesy, but I like how this is going. The title is a little misleading, as future chapters will go into the future (somewhat shown in Max's first chapter). I hope you enjoyed! Leave a kudos if you want, comments are appreciated but not mandatory, and have a nice day.


	5. Neil Will Rule The Word. And He’ll Get His Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neil is smarter than everyone. That's just a fact. But sometimes it's hard being so isolated.

Neil was smarter than others. He figured that out in kindergarten. He was reading Harry Potter when the other kids were trying to spell their own names. At first, he was embarrassed. Other kids would stare at the novel in his hands, bigger than his head, and they would laugh. 

When Neil told his parents, they called the school. It was an easy fix, and the next day those kids were apologizing to him. A few even seemed genuinely sorry. So he let it go. There were bigger things to get angry over, and life was great. 

As he grew, he got smarter. He was coding by second grade. He was winning awards, and he felt this sense of power. His mom was proud of him, she told him every day. His dad got him ice cream and toys that he wanted when Neil did something impressive. He was only six, and he was leaps above almost his entire school. 

Neil was proud of himself. Those who tried to make fun of him were irrelevant. He was leaps above them, and they didn’t matter. If anything, he could control them. He was smart enough. He could ruin them if he wanted to, and he was damn sure that no one would get in his way if he could control it. 

When he turned eight, things shifted. His parents started fighting, and it didn’t take an IQ of 140 to realize where things were going. Instead of panicking, like he knew other kids were, he thought about who it would be better to live with. 

His mom, no doubt. 

Things got more hectic as the divorce commenced. Neil’s parents were screaming at each other throughout the night, yelling things Neil had never heard before. It was a fucking nightmare. It didn’t help that the kids at school started picking on him again. 

Neil couldn’t let the stress fall off of his shoulders anymore. He didn’t have parents that would make everything better, if anything they made things worse now. He became a ghost in his own household, not wanting to get in between a screaming match. He just took solace in his studies. 

It didn’t always work. Sometimes the internet went down, or the power went out. Then there was nothing to subtract from the festering emotions rising in his chest. And soon it got to a point where Neil couldn’t deny it any longer. He was angry. 

He was fucking furious. 

It became easier to lash out at his dad than listen to him try and pretend that everything was just as good it was before. It was easier to flip off teachers instead of paying attention to the lesson. He already knew everything they were trying to teach him anyways. 

It was still hard when kids made fun of him. Some of the older kids even thought it was funny to kick his ass after school when he had to walk home. Although, they didn’t think it was as funny when he started changing their grades and adding to their records. 

The first time they walked across the street to avoid him, something new came to his chest. A sense of power. He could control them. If he could get middle schoolers to avoid him, he could rule his school. 

And rule he did. It was funny what kids would do to have Ds changed to Bs. What teachers would do to avoid having their internet histories shared with parents. People would do whatever he said, and it felt fucking amazing. 

Maybe it was a lonely life. With his mom working two jobs and his dad working late at the university, and the lack of real friends, he didn’t have much in terms of a social life. But, if he just ignored the hole in his chest when he tried to sleep, things would be fine. 

For three years, he ignored that hole. He pushed the problems down and took more control over his life. Teachers didn’t even try to discipline him. He had dirt, and if needed he would fucking use it. The principal was even under his thumb. 

As summer approached, he found a pamphlet for a science camp. It promised high tech equipment and other kids just as smart as him. Other kids who would match his level. Kids who would understand him. 

He needed to go. 

He begged his dad. Carl seemed nervous to spend so much money, but when he saw the pure desperation behind Neil’s eyes, he couldn’t say no. So, he spent the money. It was worth it to see how excited Neil was. It was the first time in years he had seen Neil so happy. 

Neil prepared for months to go to Camp Campbell’s Science Camp. He studied and wrote. He found things he didn’t know about and absorbed knowledge. He found studies and thesis papers that he could talk about with other kids. 

It was when he got on the bus that he realized that something was wrong. There was another girl. She was in overalls and had a pink nose from a healing sunburn. Neil sat a few seats over on the bus, and prepared for the long bus ride. 

The green haired girl opened the window, sticking her head out like a dog. Neil stared at her, not knowing what the hell she was doing. 

“What camp are you going to?” He asked as the bus turned into a forest area. The girl pulled her head back in and turned around, her head tilting. He repeated his question. 

“Adventure Camp silly!” She smiled. 

Neil froze. He felt his entire body tense as he felt all of his worst nightmares came crashing around him. His dad had lied. He was being sent to a camp full of the kids he had run away from until he could control. But he couldn’t control them because he had left his phone in hopes of better technology for three months. 

Things were made slightly better when he realized that he had been ripped off and not in fact lied to by his dad. Some of the anger at Carl went away, but more came towards the camp. He couldn’t believe what was happening. 

And then, he met Max. While intellectually he was leagues ahead of him, it felt like he was looking into a mirror when he saw the fury behind Max’s eyes. There was an immediate understanding. 

After they crashed the bus, Neil decided he liked Nikki as well. She was insane. For once there was someone who was able to convince him to let go and do something stupid for once. It was exhilarating. 

Maybe he could wait to destroy everyone who’s hurt him. Right then, he had people that didn’t. He had friends, and he didn’t want to risk hurting them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure how this chapter was going to go. I love Neil and his character, but I don't know if I can write him as well. I hope that in the future I can give him better characterization, but for now I just focused on his anger. I hope that you enjoyed, because while hard, this was fun to write. I hope to get to write more fluff soon. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated but not mandatory. Have a lovely day.


	6. Max Just Wants A Family (And he gets one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max continues living life with his jaded and pessimistic perspective. Until things get better.

Max wasn’t wanted at home. He was an ‘unexpected’ baby and a burden on his perfect parents' perfect life. Most of the time he was brushed aside. As long as he wasn’t in the way he was ignored. When he got in the way, things got worse. 

He thought about the time that he had accidently knocked over a vase when running back to his room after taking some food. His dad didn’t stop screaming at him for an hour. He didn’t know how breaking a cheap vase meant that he was worthless and nothing but a burden, but he accepted it nonetheless. 

When he got the news that he was being sent to Camp Campbell for the summer, he didn’t bat an eye. Of course his parents would send him to the shittiest place they could find. He missed being sent to spend the summer with his Nana. But he couldn’t, not anymore. His mom had told him that she had died a month ago. He didn’t even get to say goodbye. 

He was sent as soon as the camp was bringing in campers. That’s how he was able to get his own tent, and that was that. Summer sucked, and soon enough he was sent back home with David lying out of his ass how he was “a joy” to have at camp. 

School only got harder. Max learned about the fun of graded homework and decided that fourth grade couldn’t get any worse. Until his teacher butchered his last name on the first day and the entire class laughed at him. 

He kept his head down, mostly. There were a few instances where a teacher or student said the wrong thing at the wrong time. He may have called a few teachers ‘cock sucking whores’ or other… creative names. But, he was never the one to initiate the insults. 

When he won in a fight with an eighth grader, no one even tried to land a hit on him for the rest of the year. He had spent enough time with his dad’s parents to know how to avoid hits. Punching back was easy after so many years of kids picking on him. 

The real kicker was finding out that he was going back to the worst camp in existence again that summer. Max begged to be sent anywhere else, even promising to help more around the house, but it was to no avail. He was going to have to spend another summer at Camp Campbell. 

The cycle continued, year after year. Max would spend the year miserable, then spend a lackluster summer at Camp Campbell. He spent his entire existence in a state of melancholy or anger. And he didn’t expect anything to change that. 

Meeting Nikki and Neil changed things. Nikki was fun and had the dumbest fucking ideas that always lead to a fun day. Neil understood him, and if he wanted a break from everyone else’s annoyingness, it was easy to turn to his genius friend. 

Summers slowly became something to look forward to. He stopped begging to be sent somewhere else, and his parents were more than enthusiastic to continue shipping him off as early as they could. 

His parents really never got better. When he was twelve and he had caught his dad cheating, he learned that he liked keeping his mouth shut a hell of a lot more than he liked cigarette burns on his arm. 

He thought about what he was going to do during the summers when he turned sixteen. Too old to be a camper. David and him had talked about it. Max couldn’t seem to get the man out of his life, but he didn’t mind so much anymore. It was still weird, knowing that someone cared about his well being, but it was a nice change of pace. 

He even felt safe enough to vocalize his worries to David. The man told him that he would be ‘on it’, but that was months ago and Max hadn’t heard of it since. He assumed that with the many things that came with owning the camp and teaching during the year, it had been pushed off of David’s plate. And he couldn’t blame him. 

He was confused when he got an email saying to come to camp anyways. His parents hadn’t even filled out a form, telling him to figure things out for himself. So he did. He got the keys to the car that he had gotten for his sixteenth birthday and drove the agonizingly long drive to Camp Campbell. 

David was waiting for him. He was standing outside with a gift bag as Max parked. When he got out of the car, he was once again reminded of how long he had been coming to the camp. He was almost as tall as David. 

David had aged as well. He was just a little over thirty, but he looked so put together. He had slight stubble, a few grey hairs, and smile lines. But nothing showed how much he’d grown like the wedding band on his finger. 

Max carefully took the gift bag and opened it, to see a counselor’s shirt. He looked up and was met with a smile brighter than the sun. 

“Does this mean…?”

“Well, with all of the technical stuff taking up Gwen and my time, we thought that it may be best to hire a bit of help. And who better than three of Camp Campbell’s… rowdiest campers.” 

Max’s eyes widened. If David was saying what he thought he was saying- 

He was cut off from his thoughts when he was attacked with a hug. He fell to the ground and looked up to see Nikki smiling down at him. Her hair was in a green ponytail.

“Max! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” She cheered. Max chose to ignore the fact that they had hung out at the mall less than a month ago, not wanting to ruin the moment. 

He looked to the side to see Neil awkwardly standing to the side and smiling. He stood up and dusted off his jeans, walking over and patting his friend awkwardly on the back. 

“So he roped you two assholes into this too?”

“Yeah.” 

“It’s bullshit,” Nikki added. 

The three of them laughed 

“Well I guess we’re just going to have to cause as much trouble as we can.” 

The teenagers each took their shirts and went into the counselor’s cabin. Max felt happier than ever, glad to be back at Camp Campbell. With his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a day or two late, and I am so sorry for that! I got caught up in another project that's almost done, and I didn't have time for this! I rewrote this chapter a few times, not knowing where I wanted it to go. I'm not sure if it's amazing, but I really like the ending. Kudos and comments are appreciated but not mandatory, have a lovely day!


	7. Family Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max doesn't do friends. He doesn't need them. All they do is get in the way... until he meets Nikki and Neil.

Max wasn’t sure about Nikki or Neil. The two of them seemed nice enough, but they were also so weird. Nikki was a hyperactive ball of energy that could explode at any minute and Neil was the smartest person currently at the camp. There was no reason for them to be hanging around with him, but they were. 

Neil had moved into his tent. Max wasn’t exactly surprised, since he was the only one with a tent to himself at the camp, but it was still an adjustment. While they had reached a sort of understanding after their first escape attempt, Neil was still on thin ice like the rest of the camp. 

Things were made slightly better when Neil fixed his coffee machine to work twice as fast in the morning in exchange for blackmail on David. Lord knows Max had enough to spare. When he thought about it, that was the moment that he and Neil reached an understanding of sorts. 

When he needed something, Neil would help. He would return the favor any time that Neil needed help. From getting Nerf off of Neil’s back for a week to making David believe that Max had suddenly caught a cold and therefore had to be excused from camp activities for a week, they were there for each other. Max didn’t understand why the world didn’t work like that. 

So when he woke up to hear Neil crying, he didn’t throw a pillow at him like his instincts told him to. Instead he sat up and walked over, sitting next to his alli. Neil looked gross as shit. Tears and snot running down his face. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Max asked. Sarcasm reeked through his tone, but he didn’t know how to tone that down yet. 

“I- It’s nothing. Sorry that I woke you up.” Neil snapped. 

So he didn’t want to talk about it. Max could work with that. He just needed to make him stop crying. 

“Right. So… what was that thing that you were talking about earlier? About making David pass out?”

“I read that mixing two chemicals can create chloroform.” Neil started. He continued talking about it, and how to get all of the supplies. Max noted that he stopped crying. 

The two boys stayed up for the rest of the night talking about plots, most of them including David getting hurt in some way. And if they both walked into the mess hall the next morning looking a bit like zombies, well it was worth it. 

Nikki took longer than Neil to get used to. While Max and Neil had an alliance, Nikki wanted more. She wanted to be friends. Max didn’t do friends. No matter what they always turned against you. Friends wanted things and expected him to be nice. 

Max tried to keep his distance, but she was persistant. She dragged him and Neil on so called ‘adventures’ that always ended with them almost dying or getting in trouble. They were always so stupid, and Max wished that he could just bring himself to tell her how she was never going to actually have a real adventure. 

But he couldn’t. 

Nikki was loud. She was annoying and too happy. But she saw through the bullshit too. When Max made a comment about how what they were doing was stupid, she wouldn’t tell him he was wrong, but try to give a reason why they should keep going. 

He had fun when Nikki dragged him with her. She was part of nature and could talk to animals. It made a lot of days more interesting. 

When she bit off more than she could chew, he was there. He distracted swarms of bees and angry squirrels when she needed him to. And no matter what, even if they didn’t do what Nikki had set out to do, she thanked him and considered it a win. 

He hadn’t considered that Nikki might be useful in plots. While she sure as hell was for the bus heist, she was still too chaotic to be brought onto the more lowkey plans. Until he had no one else to turn to. 

David had taken his bag of fireworks. Usually he could let it go, but this time there were a few reasons he couldn’t. First, the fireworks were fucking awesome. Blue, yellow, red, and green all exploding around the camp. Roman candles that could take out the mess hall. It was going to be fucking amazing to watch. Secondly, the bag was Mr. Honeynuts’s hiding place. If David looked through the bag, he would know that Max was just a big baby who still needed a teddy bear. 

Neil was busy fixing up an old computer he had found. With the way he was looking at it, Max was positive that he didn’t want to bother him. He didn’t trust anyone else in the camp. He had to go to Nikki or David would find Mr. Honeynuts. 

He walked out of the tent to see her in a tree. Max wasn’t sure how she had gotten up there, but he didn’t know her well enough yet to know that she didn’t have superpowers. So he went along with it and waved her down. 

Surprisingly, she was up to the plan. Her only job was as a distraction. He needed all three of the adults to be looking at her and not the cabins for around twenty minutes for Max to find and get the bag of fireworks back. Nikki told him that she could do it, and he believed her. 

He hid behind the cabin and gave her the signal. He expected something loud and explosive, but instead she started crying. That brought David over. Max watched as she strategically placed a fake dead bird on the ground. 

It took very little time for the other two adults to get involved when she started screaming. Max rushed into the cabin and tore through everything, not caring if he made a mess. It took approximately seventeen minutes to find the bag and make it back to his tent. 

When he walked back out and nodded, Nikki turned off and stuffed the fake dead bird into her pocket. While confused, David and Gwen left it as it was. Quartermaster said something ominous and creepy then went into the woods. 

Max had hidden Mr. Honeynuts under his pillow, rightfully where he should be. The fireworks were in the duffel bags under his cot. 

Max, Nikki, and Neil met up that night. They set them off and sat back to watch them go off. While David panicked, Max just sat in the grass and looked up as the night sky was lit up by the amazing colors. 

When Nikki and Neil sat next to him, he didn’t want to brush them off. He liked being next to them. 

They weren’t his friends. They were his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have rewritten this chapter a few times. I like the way that it came out and I hope that you do too. I hope you enjoyed! If you have anything that you want to see, go ahead and tell me. Maybe I'll add it to this story! Kudos and comments are appreciated but not mandatory! Have a lovely day.


	8. Knitting Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is actually really good at knitting. He comes up with a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took a month to post! I hope this makes up for it!

If Max was being honest, this wasn’t the worst thing they’ve done. David was being quiet, and the other campers were too distracted to try and make conversation with him. So, all in all, things could be worse. 

That wasn’t to say he liked it. It was far from it. He was bored out of his mind. His nana had already taught him the basics of knitting when he could barely walk. David explaining it in a more annoying way didn’t add anything to the so-called ‘learning experience’. 

So, as David moved to help the magic elf girl with a simple cross stitch, Max decided to try something new. He remembered that Nana used to make tiny toys for him to play with. She had died just before she was able to show him how, but he had watched her do it. 

He started when he was sure no one was looking. If people saw that he knew how to knit they would make fun of him. He didn’t need the added stress of being the fucking loser who was so lonely that he learned how to knit. 

When he was sure that no eyes were on him, he started. He remembered the techniques Nana used as he made a small knitted teddy bear. It turned out...odd. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be, but it still wasn’t good. 

He tried again, this time focusing more on keeping the stitches even and together. He was quick as he made a small doll. This one turned out much better than the bear. He was catching on quickly. 

He gave the doll bright pink hair and a simple purple dress. In the end, he gave her green button eyes. It looked like a doll he remembered his nana making for one of his cousins for her second birthday. 

He set the doll aside and worked on a bigger one, an idea forming in his mind. He quickly set to work, grabbing some black yarn for the hair on this one. 

Before he was halfway done, David told them all to grab what they were most proud of to show the other campers. Max quickly made a shitty line of stitching and walked over to the where the other campers were standing. 

Magic elf girl, it seemed, wasn’t half bad at knitting. She had made a little doll that sort of resembled a witch. David gushed over it for a good ten minutes, not pointing out the missing string that would cause the doll to unravel. Max didn’t say anything either. 

When David asked him to show what he had been working on, Max showed the piece he had made within a minute. 

“Well Max, this is just great! I’m sure with just a little more practice you’ll be knitting scarves in no time!” He praised. Max didn’t ignore the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Whatever. This is fucking stupid anyways. Who even signed up for knitting camp anyways?” He spat, glaring up at David. Challenging him. David just told him to watch his language and moved on to the next thing. 

It was kind of like his parents. No matter what he did, David didn’t care. Starting fires, digging pits, and shouting. As soon as Max was put in his place he was overlooked and David moved onto the next things. Maybe that’s just what adults did. 

At least David didn’t shout as much as his parents did. 

As everyone filed out of the mess hall, Max stuffed yarn into his hoodie. Pockets, under his shirt, wherever he could hide it. He knew he would need it later for his plan. He stuffed a collection of knitting needles into his pocket and walked straight to his tent to stash everything. 

That night he started on the Max doll. It was a lot more work than he thought it was going to be. When he fucked up, he had to undo stitches and start over from there. He kept working on it though. 

He had vastly underestimated the amount of yarn he would need. Within two days he was almost out. He had to sneak out and steal more in the middle of the night, this time taking his hoodie off and stuffing it full of supplies. He also grabbed a bag of stuffing, which would make things a lot easier. 

It was a few days later, and the doll was coming along well when he ran out again. The dolls legs were done, and Max had to say, it looked great. When this was done he would have a buffer before David found out he was gone. 

The days got longer the less sleep he got. Max knew that he would have to start going to bed and waking up earlier. He was fucking tired. 

Magic elf girl’s crying didn’t help his headache. Just as he had expected, her doll had unraveled. And she wouldn’t shut up about it. It was as if she had actually lost a friend. She was a fucking loser. 

When Max went back to his tent that night to work on the Max doll, the little pink doll he had made caught his eye. It wouldn’t be hard to add a little witches hat and cape. He decided to work on that instead before he went to sleep. 

He used the last of his black yarn to make the hat and cape. He ended up putting more effort into it than he thought he would, but it only took about an hour. He was too tired to work on his main project, but maybe Magic elf girl wouldn't be upset the next day when she ‘found’ the witch doll. 

Max was right. He woke up early and put the doll in her cardboard castle. He could hear her cheers and squealing from the mess hall. He had only done it to shut her up. That was it. No other reason. 

He went through the day tiredly and stayed behind to nab more black yarn from the cabinet. When he walked into the mess hall he was surprised to see David sitting next to a lantern, drinking tea and reading. 

All of the panic alarms went off in Max’s head. David knew that he was stealing yarn. Max was going to get in trouble and David was going to yell at him and tell him that he couldn’t have anymore. Max couldn’t breathe. 

David looked up and Max froze. The man set his book and tea down and grabbed something from behind the table. 

“You know, you could’ve just asked for some yarn.” He said calmly, offering Max a bag full. Max looked in and his heart stopped. It wasn’t the shitty stuff that he had been using, the yarn was new and soft and strong. 

“What’s the catch, old man?” Max asked, not daring to take the bag.

“Just...use it. As much as you can. And tell me when you run out.” David told him, giving him the bag full of yarn. 

Max stood frozen as David left. Maybe the man wasn’t quite as bad as his parents. Maybe not all adults sucked. Max wasn’t so sure anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually really like this chapter? I think I want to add more of David being a better adult figure in the kids' lives. I don't know. Thank's for reading! Comments and Kudos are appreciated but not mandatory! Have a lovely day!


	9. Most People Suck, But You Don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David is stressed the fuck out and Gwen is determined for him to relax. She's a good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this ISN'T SMUT EVEN THOUGH THE CHAPTER SUMMARY MAY LOOK LIKE IT

David was nervous. He wasn’t sure why, but everything had been putting him on edge lately. Maybe it was because of everything that had happened with Daniel. Or rescuing Max from the Wood Scouts. Again. Or maybe it was because he hadn’t slept in four days. He wasn’t sure. 

David forced his mind to focus on the positives of the situation. He was glad to say that the campers were doing better. Max was doing better with Nikki and Neil around, and they all seemed to be enjoying camp more now that they had each other. 

On his way back into the cabin, he looked over at Gwen’s wolf of the month calendar. Summer wasn’t even half way over, and he was already getting worn out. He marked off another day, one he was proud to say had no real incidents, and moved to sit on the chair. 

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t relax. His mind was still racing from everything. From the poison ivy growing around the Mess Hall to worrying about Max’s next plot, David couldn’t stop thinking. It was starting to get tiring. 

He had gotten so lost in thought that he didn’t see Gwen walk up behind him from her room. She put her hands on his shoulders and he jumped. He calmed down slightly when he saw that it was just Gwen. She was already in her comfortable clothes. A long sleeved shirt she had stolen from him, a short pair of shirts, and slippers. David envied her, he wished he had more comfortable clothes. 

“Relax, I’m just rubbing your shoulders. You’re tense as fuck, and I’m pretty sure that if you sit any stiffer you’re going to break your spine.” Gwen smiled over at him. David nodded, forcing his shoulders down. Gwen rolled her eyes and started massaging him. 

“So, it was a pretty good day.” Gwen pointed out, working the knots near David’s neck and in his shoulders. David just hummed in response, finally starting to relax for the first time in almost a week. 

He put his head back on the chair and looked up at Gwen. Her face was focused, her hair falling to her shoulders. He liked when she wore it down, it framed her face really nicely. David thought about complimenting her, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to sound creepy. 

When she finished, she moved to go and sit on the other chair. “Go change into something comfortable, I’m putting on a horror movie.” She demanded. It wasn’t a suggestion, and David understood that fact. 

He walked back to his room and smiled at the half of the ‘Order Of the Sparrow’ staff he still had. That was an amazing day, and it reminded him of how far Max had come. David was just so proud of how far he had come.

David looked around his room, searching for something comfortable. He settled on a pair of basketball shorts, an old yellow shirt, and bunny slippers. When he walked back out, Gwen had started the movie and was sitting in his chair. 

He moved to sit in the other chair, but Gwen grabbed his arm. “Don’t. The glare from the tv sucks over there. Just sit next to me. There’s enough room.” She smiled. David didn’t argue and he sat down. 

Gwen was kind of right, there was technically enough room for the two of them. Hardly though. Gwen shifted and threw her legs over David’s lap to get more comfortable, and David found that he didn’t really mind. 

The night continued in a similar fashion, the only real change was that sometime between the third and fourth movie Gwen had made them popcorn. As the cheesy horror film continued, both of them slowly lost interest. Gwen was the first to talk over the movie. 

“So, what’s been up with you?” She asked, turning. Now she was more sitting in David’s lap, but the argument could still be made that they were just sharing the chair. It WAS a really tight fit for the both of them. 

“I’ve just been tired lately. With the whole Daniel thing, the Wood Scouts, you know…” David mumbled the last part. Gwen nodded. 

“I do know. But, you need a fucking break dude. Even Max is starting to worry.” She smiled, hitting his shoulder slightly. David chuckled at that. 

“I know. I just feel like I’ll be… letting everyone down if I stop working, even for a second.” He admitted, feeling slightly guilty about the admission. 

“You know, sometimes you’re a huge fucking idiot. You’re more hardworking than anyone I’ve ever known. I actually mean that. Every day you’re up before everyone else. You do your best to make sure that everyone is enjoying their time at this godforsaken camp, even though no one expects you too. You’ve made this camp a place for kids to go and have real adventures. Hell, if you weren’t here, I’m pretty sure that Quartermaster would’ve already skinned all of us by now. Most people suck, but you don’t. No matter how many chances you get.” Gwen told him.

David smiled at her, not really knowing what to say. No one really said that kind of stuff to him. Ever. He was used to being called a dumbass, or a loser, or any number of names. He didn’t know how to reply, the lump in his throat too thick to talk. Luckily, Gwen was able to fill the silence. 

She tuned back into the movie on the screen, the second movie playing in the set of three. It was just as cheesy, but twice as gory. David relaxed as he watched as well, the two of them finishing off the popcorn before the second act. 

After half an hour, Gwen rested her head on his shoulders. Only a few minutes later she was snoring into his ear. While most people would find it annoying, David was just glad of the reminder that he wasn’t alone. “You don’t suck either.” he mumbled. 

With that last thought, he fell asleep, more relaxed than he had been all summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a while, and for that I am sorry. But, just as with the last chapter, I really like this one. I'm still getting a feel for how to write Gwen's character. They're getting closer to being romantic. Kudos/Comments are appreciated but not mandatory. Have a lovely day!!!


End file.
